Response: Truly, He is Risen! First, as we read the Easter stories, we note the strange absence of Scripture in them. When you read the Gospel accounts of Jesus' last days —of his arrest, his trial, and his crucifixion —you find Old Testament echoes, quotations, and allusions all over the place. The Psalms, Isaiah, Daniel, Zechariah, and other books have provided material that has then been woven into the structure of the narrative. ... … [Read more...] about Greeting: Christ is Risen!
Lenten syncroblog
The Day in Between
In between Good Friday and Easter, I'm taking time to prayerfully consider Bart Ehrman on the Colbert Report and the Twelve Voices of Easter (audio files). Ever had a conversation which seemed to have the assumption that the Bible is a big fat lie and if you believe the Bible you're an idiot? If so, how did you respond (or desire to respond when faced by such an opportunity)? The question of the death and resurrection of the Son of God, one which we share with the early disciples, stands at the center of the … [Read more...] about The Day in Between
Holy Week looking toward Easter
The next day the great crowd that had come for the Feast heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, "Hosanna!" "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" "Blessed is the King of Israel!" Jesus found a young donkey and sat upon it, as it is written, "Do not be afraid, O Daughter of Zion; see, your king is coming, seated on a donkey's colt." -- John 12:12-15 NIV via BibleGateway.com Over last night's dinner, our family debriefed Palm Sunday … [Read more...] about Holy Week looking toward Easter
Do you have a confession to make?
Since the beginning of Lent, our family's reflected upon the tension between sin and a pure heart as found in Psalm 51. One morning, we walked through the Gospel message and explored the question of whether sin makes sense to our friends at school. In Lancaster County, PA, there remains a significant cultural memory of sin. But most campuses lack the memory/framework to discuss sin. On Wednesday, I heard concerns regarding spiritual dullness shared by representatives from three campuses in the Mid-Atlantic. … [Read more...] about Do you have a confession to make?